Traffic signal



Nov. s, 1927. 1,64s,490

F. V. MALTBY TRAFFI c s IGNAL Filed Dec, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 8, 1927.

F. V. MALTBY TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Dec. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ath): na

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i'. V. ,Ma/85137 55 ably accommo Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES EREDERICK V. MALTBY, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVNIA.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed December 31, 1924. Serial No. ?59,133.

This invention relates to an` improved traic signal for motor Vehicles and seeks, among other objects, to provide a device of this character whereby a driver may coni veniently indicate an intention to slow down or stop, to start or go straight ahead, to turn to the right, or to turn to the left The invention seeks, as a further ob ect, to provide a device wherein the' possbl ty of confusion as regards 'the particular signal displayed at anytime, wll be 'reduced to a A still further object of the invention is to provide a .device which, in addition to its function-as a signal, will also serve to llunnnate the license plate of' the vehcle to which the deviceis attached, and wher-ein provson will be made for projecting the lightrays n different directions according to ,the posit on of the-deviqe 'relative to the license plate.

And the inve tion seeks, as a still further object, to provide a device which wll be eflicient -as well as ornamental and which ma be readly installed. (ther and ncidental 'objects will appear hereinafter. j i i In the accompan ing drawi'ngs: Figure lis an evation showing my improved, device mounted at' the rear of a '30 vehicle.

Fi re 2 is ardetail perspective view of the evice. i

Figura 3 is'a front elevation of the device, the cover' being removed. Figura 4 is a' vertical sectional vew taken medially through the device'.

;Fi re 5 isa transverse'sectonai vew o n i the -lne 5' -5 of Figure4, looking n the drection indicated by thearrows. Figura 6 is a fragmentary sectonai view showing a slight modification of the mvenr tion. i

- 'In'carryingthe invention into efiect, I em ploy a preferably rectan'gular cang 10 hav- 'ing a back wall 11, and extendng through 'v e the back wall of the casng s a centrali dsosed barrel 12 ter'minatmg flash wit the orward edges 'of the casing. At ts rear end,

the barrel projects afishort distance at the rear of the casing and is'closed by ajdshed reflector 13, at the larger' end of which is an annulargflan e 14 extending ra'dially from the -harreL ounted axially of the reflector 13 is -an appropriate lamp' socketl removating a lamp 16, and formed in the prejectingrear end of the barrel at each side thereof, are, as particularly shown `fitted aboutthe rear end of the barrel is ex@ panded considerably so as to firmly grip the barrel. As shown in Figure 3, the barrel 12 pro.- vides a signal chamber 21 centrally of the casing 10, and extending from the barrel to the side walls of the casin'g are pairs of alined partitions 22 defining like si al chambers 23, 24, -25 and 26 respectively.- he rear wall 11 of the oasingis dished to provide reflectors 27 at 'the rear of said chambers and mounted axially of said reflectors aresuitable lamp sockets 28 removably accommodating lamps 29,` 30, 31 and 32, respectively. l

Removahl fitting over the casing is' a. cover 33 an clamped between the cover and` the-forward edges of the walls of the casing" is a transparency 34 resting flat against the forward edges of the barrel 12 as well as the' partitions 22. As shown inFgure 2, fastenings 35 are employed for securing the cover in position and, as brought out in this figure' of the drawings, the cover isfformed with a spider embodying a central circular band 36 from which extend pairs OfgOPPOSitElY disposed radial strips 37. The hand 36 coincides with the forward end of the-barrel 12 while the strips 37 coincide with the forward edges of the partitions 22 so that the transparency is thus divided into a number of areas 38, 39, 40, 41, and '42 correspondin 'in shape to the shape of the several cham ers 21, 23, 24, 25 and 26, respectively. These areas are given diferent approved 'colors which are suitably imposed on'the transi parency. In the present instance, I have shown the area 38 red, the area39 red, the

2 area 40 yellow, the area 41 blue and the area 42 green.

'Fixed to the lower corner of'the casing is a bracket 43 which is ofisetrearw'ardly and provided with a cross pl-ate 44; `This plate s apertured so-that the plate may, as sugv gested in Figure 1, be readily attachedto the cross bar of the tire carrier of a'vehicle for supporting the device upon said bar above the vehicle license plate, and it is now to be observed that the clip 20 is arranged to over lie the windows 17 and 18 at the rear end of the barrel 12 so that whenthe lamp 16 is energized, light will he liberated through the window 19 for illuminating the license plate. The clip 20, therefore, serves to close the windows not -i'n use and will also exclude dust and dirt as well as tend to reflect the light rays through the window which is un'- covered. Should the license 'plate be at the right of the device, the clip 20 is turned u on the harrel 12 to cover the windows 18 an 19 so that the window 17 willbe left uncovered to Permit the illumination of' the license plate, while should the license plate be at the left of the device', the clip 20 is turned upon the harrel to cover the windows 17 and 19 so that the' window 18 will be left open to permitillumination of the license plate. I accordingly provide a particularl convenient and efl'ective arrangcment in ths respect.,

A vehicle may, of course, be equipped with only a sin le' one of the devicesat 'the rear of the vehcle, as shown in Figure l, or, if preferred, one of the, devices may be provided at the front of the vehicle as well as at the rear thereof. In any event, the several wires leading to the lamp-'sockets of the device will be bunched into a cable', as suggested in Figure 4, and led to the 'instrument board of the vehicle, to the steering wheel, or other convenient location, where an app propriate switch? will be provided for controlling the energization ot the several lamps. `When intending to slow down or stop, the lamps 16 and 29 are preferahly simultaneously energized so that, as. will he seen in View of the foregoing description, the red areas 38 and 39 of the transparency 34 will be illuminated for displaying a red signal light at each of said areas. If desired,

' the switch mechanism controlling the lamps 16 and 29 mayhe connectedwith the foot brakeof the vehicle so that the ener izav tion of said lamps will be accomplishe automaticall When intending to start or go straight a ead, the lamps 16 and 30`are-simultaneously energized so that a red light will be displayed at the area 38 of the. transparency while a yellow light will' be' displayed at the area 40; ``Whe1intending to turn to the right, the lamps'l and 41 are simultaneously. energized so that a red light will be dis layed at the area38' while a blue light will e displayed at thearea 41 of the transparency. Similarly, ;when intending to 'turn to the left, the lamps 16 and 32 are tions of the driver and in displaying a red light in connection with the other colored lights, the attention of traflic will be directed to the signals. If desired, circuit con- 4 nections may 'be provided whereby the lamp 16 may be used alone as a tail light or parking lamp.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated a slightmodification of the invention 'wlerin the front 'transparency 45 of the device is, at the front of the several signal chambers, provided with convex lens portions as indicated at 46." Otherwise, this' modified structure is identical with the pre`- `ferred Construction and further description s accordingly believed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention hat I claim is:

1. A trafli'c signal including a casing, a barrel extending into the casn and procasing defining a plurality ..of chambers Ugrouped about said central chamber, a transparency closing all of said chambers, means for illuminating l said chambers, the barrel projecting at't efrear of the casing and being provided with a pluralty of spaced windows, and means carried by the project-e` ing portion of the barrel for uncovering any' ,viding a central chamber, partitons in the i minatin said chambers, the barrel project V ing at t e rear of the casing and being provided with a plurality of spaced windows, and a split spring clip' gripped about the barrel and rotatably adjustable thereon for uncovering any one of certain windowsbetween the end's of the-clip 'and eoincidently covering all of the remaining windows'.

. In testimony whereof I` aflix my signature; i

FREDERIGK v. MALTBY; 11. 5. 

